Revelation 20

Contemporary English Version

The Thousand Years

20 I saw an angel come down from heaven, carrying the key to the deep pit and a big chain. ²^(A) He chained the dragon for 1,000 years. It is that old snake, who is also known as the devil and Satan. ³Then the angel threw the dragon into the pit. He locked and sealed it, so 1,000 years would go by before the dragon could fool the nations again. But after that, it would have to be set free for a little while.

⁴^(B) I saw thrones, and sitting on those thrones were the ones who had been given the right to judge. I also saw the souls of the people who had their heads cut off because they had told about Jesus and preached God's message. They were the same ones who had not worshiped the beast or the idol, and they had refused to let its mark be put on their foreheads or hands. They will come to life and rule with Christ for 1,000 years.

^5-6These people are the first to be raised to life, and they are especially blessed and holy. The second death^[a] has no power over them. They will be priests for God and Christ and will rule with them for 1,000 years.

No other dead people were raised to life until 1,000 years later.

Satan Is Defeated

⁷At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be set free. ⁸^(C) He will fool the countries of Gog and Magog, which are at the far ends of the earth, and their people will follow him into battle. They will have as many followers as there are grains of sand along the beach, ⁹and they will march all the way across the earth. They will surround the camp of God's people and the city God loves. But fire will come down from heaven and destroy the whole army. ¹⁰Then the devil who fooled them will be thrown into the lake of fire and burning sulfur. He will be there with the beast and the false prophet, and they will be in pain day and night forever and ever.

The Judgment at the Great White Throne

¹¹^(D) I saw a great white throne with someone sitting on it. Earth and heaven tried to run away, but there was no place for them to go. ¹²^(E) I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life^[b] was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done.

¹³The sea gave up the dead people who were in it, and death and its kingdom also gave up their dead. Then everyone was judged by what they had done. ¹⁴Afterwards, death and its kingdom were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death.^[c] ¹⁵Anyone whose name wasn't written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.